York Handmade wins sustainability award

A North Yorkshire brick manufacturer has been recognised for its commitment to sustainability at one of the construction industry’s top award ceremonies.

The York Handmade Brick Company, based in Alne near Easingwold, won the Sustainability category at the 2025 Brick Awards for its work on the Bustardthorpe Stand and Roberto Pavilion at York Racecourse.

Judges praised the project’s environmentally conscious design, which included 70,000 locally handmade bricks, solar panels, rainwater harvesting and a living green roof.

Often dubbed the “Brick Oscars,” the Brick Awards celebrate excellence in global brick architecture and craftsmanship.

This year’s ceremony took place at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel and recognised outstanding achievements across design, sustainability, and innovation.

York Handmade was also shortlisted in three additional categories for projects in Cambridge and Switzerland.

Managing director Guy Armitage said: “We are tremendously proud to have won the Sustainability Award this year and have also been shortlisted for two other fantastic projects. 

“This is a great honour.

“Huge thanks are due to the management team and employees at York Handmade for their imagination, enterprise and hard work, which all combined to make these projects so successful and so memorable.

“It is vitally important to stress these projects were completely different jobs in design and execution, graphically illustrating our ability to work in a wide variety of colours and styles.

“We believe we can tackle any brickwork project successfully.

“It is fitting that our major success was in the Sustainability category, as sustainability is at the heart of what we do.

“Our winning entry, the new Bustardthorpe Stand and Roberto Pavilion at York Racecourse, is such a great example of this, with our bricks being manufactured only 12 miles away from the racecourse.”

Chief executive William Derby added: “We have been thrilled with the reaction of racegoers and visitors to the Bustardthorpe Development at York Racecourse following its first full season of use in 2025.

“This multi-million-pound development has transformed the facilities and built environment in this area of the racecourse, delivering new racegoer lawns under the Churchill Tyres canopy, transforming the catering, betting and viewing facilities including the popular Theakston’s bar, Guiness Pavilion and Kylie bar.

“The development was designed with sustainability at its core as part of York Racecourse’s Green Knavesmire 300 strategy with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, a living wildflower roof and 70,000 high specification bricks from York Handmade Bricks, based just 12 miles from the racecourse. 

“We are therefore so proud that the Bustardthorpe development won the Sustainability category at the national and prestigious Brick Development Association Awards.”

The firm’s latest accolade continues a strong awards record, following previous recognition for work on landmark developments, including Magdalene College Library in Cambridge and St Albans Cathedral.

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